Axle.



Cil

ONESIME E. MICHAUD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AXLE.

VSpecification. of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed March 14, 1911. Serial No. 614,472.

To all whom it may concern.vv

Be it known that I, ONESIME E. MICHAUD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Axles, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to axles for vehicles and it has for itsprincipal objects to produce a structure which will permit of the use ofwheels having relatively short or narrow hubs and also resist andovercome torsional strains upon the hub and antifriction bearingsprovided therein, to provide for taking up end play in the bearing, andto attain certain other advantages hereinafter more fully appearing.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter' described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,-Figure 1is a fragmentary longitudinal section through one end po-rtion of avehicle aXle embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar viewillustrating a modification.

Referring now, to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the axle comprises a solidmetal intermediate portion 1 to which is attached the ordinary aXlewood2 through the medium of a suitable metal clip 3 in the usual and wellknown manner. This intermediate portion 1 is preferably flattenedthroughout its length and is provided at its ends with cylindricalenlargements 4: which are 'shouldered and `screw-threaded to receive thecounterpart inner end portion of a spindle-sleeve or tubular extension5. j

The outer end portion of the spindlesleeve or tubular extension 5 isreduced to receive the inner bearing sleeve or ringv 6 of anantifriction bearing, while in the hub of the wheel is litted the outerring 7 for said antifriction bearing. The inner bearing ring is providedwith an anular peripheral groove which constitutes a raceway for aseries of antifriction rollers S; and itI is also provided with a grooveto receive a series of balls 9. The rollers 8 are provided to carry theweight, while the balls 9 are primarily provided to receive the endthrust.

Extending into the tubular extension 5 is a spindle or shank 10 having acircular enlargement or head 11 at its outer end, which isscrew-threaded into the outer portion 12 of the hub of the wheel orotherwise rigidly secured to the hub. The spindle or shank 1() is boredaxially and the bore is preferably of two diameters, the diameter of theinner portion being the larger. is slidably and rotatably tted acylindrical bar or thrust-block 13 having a tapered inner end portion111 which tits into a counterpart central perforation in a bearing ring15. The bearing ring 15 is fitted in a counterbore of the tubularextension 5 with a slight clearance between it and the face of thecounterbore. Opposed to this bearing ring is a second bearing ring 16which is preferably fitted tightly in the counterbore of. the tubularextension 5 and abut-s against the end portion 4 of the intermediatesect-ion of the aXle. The adjacent faces of the two bearing rings 15 and16 are provided with cooperating annular grooves or raceways for aseries of balls 17 In the smaller' bore of the spindle 10 is slidablyfitted a rod 18 whichbears at its inner end against the thrust-block 13,while itsY outer end .project-s into a counterbore 1.9 inthe outer endof the spindle. The oounterbore 19 is screw-threaded to receive a. plug20 adapted to bear at `its inner end against the outer end of the rod18. This plug 2O Iis preferably provided with a squared portion Q1, orit may be otherwise arranged to receive a wrench or other tool wherebythe plug may be turned.

Preferably, the tubular extension 5 is eX- ternally grooved to receive aguard or ring 22 which cooperates with the inner portion Q3 of the hubof the wheel, so as to exclude dust and grit, and also retain thelubricant within the bearings. As oil supply opening 24 is provided inthe tubular extension 5, preferably, adjacent to the inner end of thespindle 10. This opening 24 is also preferably closed by aspring-pressed conical. plug or closure 25.

In the larger bore By securing the spindle member 10 rigidly to the hubof the wheel at its outer end, and extending the spindle into thet-ubular extension 5 of the axle for a considerable distance andproviding a supporting and thrust bearing for the inner end yportion ofthe spindle, the wheel will run without wabbling. The constructionobviates the necessity of providing an elongated or relatively widewheel hub and also obviates ,the necessity of providing antifriction'bearings for each end of the hub. By adjusting the screw-plug 2Oinwardly against the end of the rod 18, which in turn bears against thethrust-block 13 whose inner end portion is litted in the bearing ring15, the spindle 10 is moved outwardly and, owing to the Connectionbetween the spindle and hub of the wheel, the hub is also movedoutwardly. By this arrangement the antifriction bearing in the hub ofthe wheel may be adjusted to a nicety, so that there is practically noplay b etween the cooperating shoulder Pof the outer bearing vring 7 andballs 9 which work in the raceway provided in the inner bearing ring 6.Thus, the rattling of the bearing is eliminated and shocks or torsionalstrains liable to shatter the bearing rollers o-r balls are etfectuallyresisted.

In Fig. 2, the hub of the wheel is provided with a bearing ring 26having a tapered bore into which is fitted a conical bearing sleeve 27onV the tubular axle extension in lieu of the antifrction bearingillustrated in Fig. 1. In this modification, also, the tubular extension5 and the intermediate prtionl of the axle are made integral. In theinnerend of the bore of the tubular 'extension 5 is fitted a hardenedmetal block 28 in which the conical portion 14 of theythrustblock 13 isrotatably fitted. In other respects the construction is the same as thatillustrated in Fig. 1 and the action of the device` is the same.

Obviously, the device admits of considerable modification withoutdeparting from my invention. Therefore, I do not wishto be limited ltothe exact construction and arrangement shown.

AWhat I claim is:

1. The combination with an axle having a tubular en`d portion, of awheel hub journaled on said tubular end portion of the axle, a spindlerigidly connected at its outer end to the hub of the wheel and extendinginto said tubular end port-ion of the axle, said spindle having an axialbore, a thrustblock slidably fitted in the axial bore of said spindle, abearing in said tubular end portion ot' the axle adapted to support saidthrust-block rotatably and also vresist end thrust thereof, and meansfor adjusting said thrust-block in the spindle whereby the end play inthe hub bearing is taken up.

Q. The combination with an axle having a tubular end portion, of a wheelhub journaled on said tubular end portion of the axle, a spindle rigidlysecured at its outer end to the hub of the wheel and extending into thetubular end portion of the axle, said spindle being bored axially, acylindrical thrust block in said axial bore or" the spindle, a bearingin said tubular end portion of t-he axle adapted to support said thrustblock rotatably and being also adapted to resist end thrust thereof, anda device movable longitudinally in the axial bore of said spindle andadapted to bear against 'said thrust block therein, said device beingheld by an adjustable manipulating device at the outer end of saidspindle.

3. The combination with an axle having a tubular end portion, of a wheelhub j ournaled on said tubular end portion of the axle, a spindlerigidly secured at its outer end to the hub of the wheel and extendinginto the tubular end portion of the axle, said spindle being boredaxially, a cylindrical thrust block in said axial bore of the spindle, abearing in said tubular end portion of the axle adapted to support saidthrust block rotatably and being also adapted to resistv end thrustthereof, a thrust rod in the axial bore ofsaid spindle bearing at itsinnerend against said thrustblock therein, and a screw plug in the outerend portion of said spindle bearing at its inner end against the thrustrod, whereby the spindle may be adjusted endwise so as to take up endplay in the respective bearings.

4:. The combination with an axle having a tubular portion, of a wheelhub journaled on the outer extremity of said tubular portion of theaxle, said wheel hub having a screw-threaded annular outer end portion,a spindle extending into said tubular portion of the axle and having ascrew-threaded circular enlargement at its outer end adapted for rigidengagement, with said Vscrewthreaded hub portion, said spindle having anaxial opening therethrough, a longitudic nally movable thrust membertted in said axial opening and projecting beyond the innerend of saidspindle, a bearing in said tubular axle portion ada ted to rotatablysupport said thrust mem er and also re sist end thrust thereof, andmeans coperating with said thrust member to move the spindle endwise totake up end play in the respective bearings. Y

5. The combination with an axle having a tubular portion, of a wheel hubjournaled on the outer extremity of said tubular portion of the axle, aspindle extending into said tubular portion of the axle and having ahead or enlargement at its outer end adapted for detachable but rigidengagement .with the outer end of the wheel hub, said spindle having anaxial opening therethrough, a the spindle endWise to take up end play inlongitudinally movable thrust member fitted the respective bearings. 10in said axial opening and projecting beyond Signed at St. Louis,Missouri, this 7th the inner end of said spindle, a bearing in day ofMarch, 1911.

said tubular axle portion adapted to ro- ONESIME E. MICHAUD. tatablysupport said thrust member and also Witnesses:

resist end thrust thereof, and means co- G. A. PENNINGTON,

'operating` With said thrust member to move PAULINE AMBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

